Nagdee Mohammed, Artz Lillian, Corral-Bulnes Carmen, Heath Aisling, Subramaney Ugasvaree, de Clercq Helena G, Erlacher Helmut, Kotze Carla, Lippi Gian, Naidoo Samantha, Sokudela Funeka
Fort England Hospital, South Africa.
Department of Psychiatry, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa.
S Afr J Psychiatr. 2019 Feb 21;25:1230. doi: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v25i0.1230. eCollection 2019.
There is a paucity of research on women offenders in the South African context, particularly those referred for forensic psychiatric observation. Little is known about their life histories, the nature of their offences or the psycho-social contexts that enable, or are antecedents to, women's criminal offending.
This research study, the largest of its kind in South Africa, examined the psycho-social contexts within which women offenders referred for psychiatric evaluation come to commit offences. The profiles of both offenders and victims, as well as reasons for referral and forensic mental health outcomes, were investigated.
A retrospective record review of 573 cases, spanning a 12-year review period, from six different forensic psychiatric units in South Africa, was conducted.
The findings describe a population of women offenders who come from backgrounds of socio-demographic and socio-economic adversity, with relatively high pre-offence incidences of being victims of abuse themselves, with significant levels of mental ill-health and alcohol abuse permeating their life histories. The majority of index offences which led to court-ordered forensic evaluations were for violent offences against the person, with murder being the single most common index offence in the sample. Most victims of violence were known to the accused. There were also relatively high rates of psychotic and mood-spectrum disorders present, with relatively low rates of personality disorders. The majority of women were deemed to be trial competent and criminally responsible in relation to their index offences.
It is recommended that more standardised and gender-sensitive forensic mental health assessment approaches, documentation and reporting be employed throughout the country. Future research should compare male and female offending patterns and forensic mental health profiles.
在南非的背景下，针对女性罪犯的研究匮乏，尤其是那些被转介进行法医精神病学观察的女性。对于她们的生活史、犯罪性质或促成女性犯罪或作为女性犯罪前提的社会心理背景知之甚少。
这项南非同类研究中规模最大的研究，考察了被转介进行精神病学评估的女性罪犯实施犯罪的社会心理背景。调查了罪犯和受害者的概况，以及转介原因和法医心理健康结果。
对南非六个不同法医精神病学单位在12年回顾期内的573例病例进行了回顾性记录审查。
研究结果描述了一群来自社会人口和社会经济逆境背景的女性罪犯，她们在犯罪前自身遭受虐待的发生率相对较高，其生活史中普遍存在严重的精神健康问题和酒精滥用问题。导致法庭下令进行法医评估的大多数索引犯罪是针对他人的暴力犯罪，谋杀是样本中最常见的单一索引犯罪。大多数暴力受害者为被告所熟知。精神病和情绪谱系障碍的发生率也相对较高，人格障碍的发生率相对较低。大多数女性被认为在其索引犯罪方面具备受审能力且负有刑事责任。
建议在全国采用更标准化且对性别敏感的法医心理健康评估方法、记录和报告。未来的研究应比较男性和女性的犯罪模式以及法医心理健康概况。
